Compression quad for justifying lines of type



April 4, 1939. 0J1, SPAETH 2,152,752

COMPRESSION QUAD FOR JUSTIFYING LINES OF TYPE Filed May 6, 1937 {J INVENTORIV 44; A TT'ORA EY Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES COMPRESSION QUAD FOR JUSTIFYING LINES OF TYPE Otto L. Spaeth, Oakwood, Ohio, assignor to Dayton Type, Incorporated, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application May 6, 1937, Serial No. 141,130

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and useful compression quad for justifying lines of type.

When my quad is set up between words of type v in a line and the line is compressed to a predeter- -mined length, the pressure is brought to bear directly against the two flat surfaces which are always presented to the next piece of type on each side of it and the quad under this pressure squeezes down collapsing, not on the outside, but on the inside, leaving the outside setwise surfaces undistorted. Therefore, it is one of the principal objects of my invention to provide a quad in which no physical change takes place on its setwise bearing surfaces. In this respect it differs from any known type or spacers.

When compression occurs, the inside portion of the quad collapses. As the metal is being squeezed down to smaller dimensions, it must have some place to go. Therefore, a cavity or space is provided. This cavity is self-contained in the quad itself and into this space the compressed metal is forced. The quad is so designed that after this: space becomes filled with compressed metal it can still be further compressed without distorting the bearing surfaces of the quad. This is accomplished by having a hollow space both above and below the horizontal center line of the quad. Into these two hollow spaces the metal still to be squeezed down is forced and the contracting proc- ,ess continues.

It is still another object of my new quad to provide a space or depression on both sides of its vertical center line for the compressed metal to enter. This space has a two-fold purpose:

(a) To provide a space for the compressed metal to enter;

(b) To prevent the metal from squeezing out and beyond the original overall dimensions of the type. If the metal would squeeze out and up,

there would exist the possibility of its rising as high or higher than the face of the characters on the type bodies adjacent to the quad, and this squeezed metal would then function the same as a character accepting ink and depositing it on the paper when processed in printing.

The quad is also especially designed to have a flat surface on its setwise sides and the general appearance of a regular solid quad on these same sides for the purpose of having them feed and stack uniformly in the magazine channels of the type setting machines and further to have them feed from the bottom of the type channels of the typesetting machine without clogging.

The concave spaces, referred to above as being above and below the horizontal center line of the quad, extend the full height of the quad body so that uniform compression throughout its entire height can be obtained.

After compression has occurred the quad has not lost its outside appearance. A six inch line compressed moves freely in its channel, proving that this spacer retains its essential form after compression. It is designed in this manner so that the two outside bearing surfaces present a smooth face to type bodies on each of its sides. This is done so that no distortion of alignment of the full line of type occurs. The quad retains its general overall dimensions with the exception of the setwise width after it has been compressed. This enables it to move freely in the channel containing the line of type.

As compression increases, the quad becomes denser which creates a proportionate resistance on the part of the quad. As the resistance increases, the pressure is passed on uniformly and successively to all other quads in the same line where the density as yet has not been increased with the result that the pressure is evenly and progressively distributed to all quads and uniform spacing between words is thus obtained.

My invention is a spacer or quad and not a piece of type used for printing. It has one function only and that is to give proportional and uniform spacing between words in a single line. Its use is confined exclusively to justifying lines to a uniform and predetermined length, the controlled distortion of the quad in no way affecting the type faces or type bodies contained in the same line. It compresses from the outside in and the bearing surfaces are not disturbed. There are other compressible quads and type bodies but none that compress from the outside in. The bearing surfaces of all known quads are distorted under pressure. This one is not. My quad is unique in that after compression it presents the same normal uniform bearing surfaces to the adjoining types that it presented before compres- $1011.

The quad is unique also in that the uniformity of its outside bearing surfaces allows it to stack uniformly in the magazine vanes of automatic type setting machinery, and this permits the bottom quad of the stack to be easily and smoothly ejected therefrom.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a front view of my compression quad. Figure 2 is a side view thereof. Figure 3 is a top plan view of the quad. Figure 4 is a front view of the quad after it has been compressed, showing its outside setwise surfaces to be undistorted after the collapse of its inside portion. Figure is a plan view of a line of short mold type, showing my quads therein before compression. And Figure 6 is a view of the same line after those quads have been compressed.

Referring to the accompanying drawing for a detailed description of the form of embodiment of my invention illustrated therein, the numeral l designates a compression quad that is preferably cast of suitable material in a mold. This quad, which is particularly adapted for use with short mold type, has a body. with two setwise sides 2, 2 whose outside bearing surfaces are fiat and remain so under compression because the quad collapses on the inside as hereinbefore brought out. These set-wise sides 2, 2 are joined by an integral web or shank 3 which in the present instance is flush with the base portions 4 of the sides 2, 2 of the quad, forming with them an inverted T in section to present a smooth, continuous flat surface for the quad base. This smooth, flat base surface together with the smooth flat surfaces of its sides 2, 2, give the quad the general appearance of a regular solid for the purpose of having it and adjacent quads stack uniformly and feed from the bottoms of the mag.- azine channels of type setting machines without clogging. The setwise faces have their lateral edges preferably formed with notches 2a, 2a forming a guide channel for use in type setting, with the result that the bottom of the quad is a dovetail as shown in Figure 2.

Formed in the sides of the web 3, above and below the center line of the quad, and extending the full height of the quad body, or between its base 4 and top 5, are concave spaces or cavities 6 into which the compressed met-a1 still to be squeezed down is forced after the interior of the quad has collapsed and still continues to contract under the compression process. Formed in each side of the web 3 is a hole i to increase the metal receptive capacity of the cavities B.

A space or concave depression 8 is formed in the top 5 of the quad body on each side of its vertical center line, for the compressed metal to enter when the quad is depressed, and to prevent the metal from squeezing out and beyond the original overall dimensions of the type. If the metal would squeeze out and up, there would be a possibility of its rising as high or higher than the face of the characters on the type bodies adjacent to the quad to accept and deposit ink upon the paper in the same manner as the character type bodies in the same line during printing.

In Figure 5 my quads I are shown in spacing position between short mold type 9 before compression. Thereafter, through variable pressure exerted upon the end type, these quads are compressed as shown in Figure 6, collapsing on the inside to leave their outside setwise surfaces undistorted as shown in the latter figure. As compression increases the quad becomes dens-er with the result that through increased resistance the pressure is passed on uniformly and successively to all other quads in the same. line where the density as yet has not been increased to insure uniform spacing between the words in that line.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. A spacing quad comprising a body having two setwise sides whose outside bearing surfaces are flat, and an integral web joining said sides, said web and the top of the quad being formed with cavities to receive the compressed metal when the quad is compressed.

2. A spacing quad comprising a body having two setwise sides whose outside bearing surfaces are fiat, and in integral concave web joining said sides, said web being formed With'a hole in each side thereof.

3. A spacing quad for the purpose described, having flat setwise faces to be. assembled together with type, and a body portion connecting said faces of a less cross section than the area of the said faces and having its upper end recessed below the tops of the setwise faces, the said body portion being of a material readily deformed under pressure.

4. A spacing quad for the purpose described, having flat setwise faces to be assembled together with type, and a body portion connecting said faces of a less cross section than the area of the said faces and having its upper end recessed below the tops of the setwise faces, the said body portion being of a material readily deformed under pressure, the sides of the body portion being recessed inwardly from the sides of the setwise faces.

5. A spacing quad for the purpose described,

having flat setwise faces to be assembled together with type, and a body portion connecting said faces of a less cross section than the area of the said faces and having its upperend recessed below the tops of the setwise faces, the said body portion being of a material readily deformed under pressure, and said setwise faces-having their lower portions formed as a dovetail for retaining the quad in a type assembly.

6. A spacing quad for the purpose described, having fiat setwise faces to be assembled together with type, and a body portion connecting said faces of a less cross section than the area of the said faces and having its upper end recessed below the tops of the setwise faces, the said body portion being of a material readily deformed under pressure, the sides of the body portion being recessed inwardly from the sides of the setwise faces, and said setwise faces having their lower portions formed as a dovetail for retaining the quad in a type assembly.

7. A spacing quad for the purpose described having fiat setwise faces to be assembled together with type, and a body portion connecting said faces having a cross section less than the area of said faces, said cross section becoming progressively greater as it approaches the se.t-. wise faces, said body portion being of metal readily deformed under pressure.

8. A spacing quad for the purpose described having flat setwise faces, and an interconnecting body portion, said body portion being recessed at the sides and top, from the boundaries of the said faces, and being made of material readily deformed under pressure, the recessed portion of the body being suficient to contain all of the metal of the body which flows as a result of a deformation sufficient to bring said faces into back to back abutment.

OTTO L, SP'AE'IH. 

